Pleased with the outcome, Shaw left his room in search of his brother. He couldn't say he was looking forward to the ritual, but he was looking forward to answers. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit to at least a little anticipation. Hell, a man would have to be dead not to anticipate a night of pleasure, no matter the reason for it,
He stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall. Only now realizing that was the true reason for all his angst. It was guilt. It felt like a betrayal to Maggie because on one level he wanted to be with the twin witches, to pleasure them and have them pleasure him. He really should cut himself a modicum of slack, it had been over three hundred years since he'd lain with a woman, as far as dry spells went his was monumental.
He continued walking deep in thought and almost ran right into Cole.
"Bloody hell Shaw, watch where your going!" He snarled. Then his shoulders slumped, and he sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. "I'm sorry Shaw."
"There's no change then, Cole?" Shaw asked placing a hand on his friend and brother-in-law's shoulder. "What do the witches say?"
"The same as you Shaw. She's trapped in her own personal hell!" He choked out the words. "Niall and Kiara said they've never seen magic like this. It's dark Shaw. They always said magic wasn't good or bad, it was the intent of the caster. The witches called this dark black magic, it's not good and he has my daughter."
"We will get her back, Cole, both of them."
"There's nothing left of my brother in there. I don't know what happened to turn his soul so evil, but Cailean is gone."
"I'm sorry Cole. It's like you've lost three family members today." He couldn't tell Cole he thought there was always something a little dark about Cailean's soul. The way he'd brutalized that young maiden witch three hundred years ago, good men didn't commit such atrocities.
"No Shaw, I lost my brother when he raped and beat a young maiden. Today that demon stole the two most important people in the world to me. I warn you now Shaw, if I can kill him and I won't wait for you, no matter your destiny."
"I know it brother." They shook as warriors do, forearm to forearm. Shaw vowed that he wouldn't let Cole anywhere near that monster, his baby sister was going to need Cole when they brought her back and so was his beautiful spitfire of a niece.
"I need to go back; I sit and talk to Fiona. I'm hoping she hears my voice, and it gives her hope and comfort."
Shaw watched as Cole continued down the hall, disappearing into a room that was opposite to his. The place was like a maze. He really needed to learn it better, talk to Bran, see how they managed it. A sort of magic he was sure, but how did the magic work when it is failing. And if it was working that brings up the question how did Cailean find them?
He found his brother in the great hall. He was sitting at a table with a buffet before him and an empty plate beside him.
"Sit brother, I assumed you would be hungry."
"Famished actually, with everything that has happened, I don't even remember the last time I ate." Shaw sat, the smell of food making his mouth water.
"Likely it was before we sealed you in that cave." Bran trailed off and his eyes shot up to me Shaw's, filled with shock and horror.
"Bran, what is it?"
"We sealed you in that cave, Shaw." Bran emphasized the word sealed. "How the hell did you get out before I got there and end up falling and almost bloody dying!" His voice rose as did his brogue. "I was meant to break the seal, you remember the spell don't you, with the blood of my blood?"
Shaw paused, fork halfway to his mouth and looked at his brother, realization dawning.
"It wasn't closed." He stated lowering his fork gently to the plate. "The mouth of the cave was wide open, Bran."
"Fuck!" Bran slammed his fist on the table and pulled his little communication device from his pocket. He'd told Shaw it was a cell phone. The future certainly made things more convenient; it no longer took days or weeks to communicate with others, now it took but a click of buttons.
"Yeah, we got another problem, I need you in the great hall now!"
"Shaw, how the hell could someone break blood magic?"
"It's not just someone, it's Cailean, he knew when I would wake and was ready and waiting. I don't know how he broke it. I thought only way was blood of our blood."
"It is and it isn't." Niall answered as he entered the room. "The only other way is a blood sacrifice from the same bloodline as the witch that performed the spell in the first place."
"Angus performed the spell." Bran said his voice pained.
Shaw watched as the colour drained from Niall's face to a sickly gray.
"Oh God." Niall choked out and began fumbling in his pocket for his phone.
"What is it?" Shaw demanded.
"There's only two left, Maggie who's clearly fine and a wee babe not through his first year. They suspected he was Angus; they've been hiding him."
Shaw watched as Niall frantically clicked more buttons on his phone, placing it once again to his ear, the first attempt obviously going unanswered.
"I thought you had said it was Angus' son that had been reincarnated?"
"Aye, which is what we had been telling everyone. We didn't know why it wasn't Ian, it should have been, but for unknown reasons Angus came back and we thought it must be important. So, the witches and us, have been keeping it a secret including his location."
Niall let out an anguished sound then and crumpled to the ground.
"He's gone and they're all dead."